LATROBE -- Competition on the field heated up right along with the
105-degree heat index at St. Vincent College for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The
first one-minute drill of training camp concluded the grueling two-and-one-half
hour session, and the results favored the defense.">
LATROBE -- Competition on the field heated up right along with the
105-degree heat index at St. Vincent College for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The
first one-minute drill of training camp concluded the grueling two-and-one-half
hour session, and the results favored the defense.">

Monday (afternoon) Camp Report 7/29/02 - Injuries

Jim Wexell

07/29/2002

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:0in;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:
none">LATROBE -- Competition on the field heated up right along with the
105-degree heat index at St. Vincent College for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The
first one-minute drill of training camp concluded the grueling two-and-one-half
hour session, and the results favored the defense.

With the clock actually set at 92 seconds, the two first teams lined up against each other and Kordell Stewart took the second snap, scrambled to his right and raced 70 yards down the sideline for a touchdown - but it was called back by Coach Bill Cowher, who wanted to see more. Linebacker Joey Porter blew up a screen pass to Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, and Antwaan Randle El dropped a fourth-and-two pass at midfield, sending the first teams to the sidelines.

But the offense didn't get side tracked as the second team, under the guidance of quarterback Tommy Maddox, moved down the field with catches by Lee Mays, Terance Mathis, Jerame Tuman, and Amos Zereoue. With the ball at the defense's 12-yard line and 11 seconds showing on the clock, Maddox threw into the end zone for Mathis, but the ball was intercepted by first-year cornerback Eugene Clinton, who sped down the sideline to finish the drill. Cowher had called a timeout before the play and had Maddox throw into the end zone, planning to kick a field goal if unsuccessful. Cowher looked at it as a lesson learned.

After practice, Cowher watched kickers Todd Peterson and Joe O'Donnell work at the opposite ends of the field. Peterson made both of his 50-yard attempts while O'Donnell made one of two. The kickers will travel to Heinz Field Tuesday and again next week to become acclimated to the home turf before the first preseason game.

Other highlights of practice included the continuing fine play of receiver Troy Edwards; punt return work, particularly with the jammers on the gunners; Chad Scott's hard pop of receiver D.J. Flick; Casey Hampton driving Jeff Hartings into the ground in line drills; Chris Combs beating Kendall Simmons and then Simmons bouncing back to drive Brett Keisel into the ground; a pair of leaping catches by Plaxico Burress and then Hines Ward in the team scrimmage; and the smooth bootlegs and effective hard counts of quarterback Charlie Batch.

The collision of the day may have been fullback Dan Kreider's de-cleater of rookie linebacker Larry Foote, during the team scrimmage.

On the down side, quarterback Tee Martin has never looked worse, and he's looked pretty bad at times over the last two years. Also, rookie receiver Dallas Davis and veteran safety Mike Logan injured hamstrings and are day-to-day.